Eyelet.



Nu 700J2L Patmfied May13,l902

E.KEMPSHALL EYELETL 7 (Application filed Jan. 29, 1902.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l,"

2y halt H r N0. 700,|2|. Patented May |3,,|9o'2.

E. KEMPSHALL.

EYELET.

(Application filed Jan. 29, 1902.] (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

BJ J G H I F all UNITED STATES Q PATENT OFFICE.

ELEAZER KEMPSIIALL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED FAST COLOR EYELET COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, AND BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

EYELE'T.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 700,121 dated May 13, 1902.

Application filed Janna-Ty 29, 1902. Serial No. 91,692. (No model.)

T0 ttZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELEAZER KEMPSHALL, a citizen of the United States, residing in Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Eyele'ts, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to eyelets such as used upon shoes and other articles and consisting of gromets either fully or partially inca'sed in wear-resisting material, such as celluloid or other plastic material, an example of which is illustrated in United. States Let'- ters Patent No. 557,992 of April 7, 1896. V

Inincasing theeyelets the flaring edge of the gromet is liable to cut through the protecting material when the latter is being molded upon the former, thus rendering-the article defective. -In practice this cutting occurs so often as to be a source of considerable loss, not only from the waste of eyelets, but also because of the necessity of carefully inspecting and sorting the product. I Again, said flaring edge is liable to work sometimes too close to the finished surface'of the casing and soon wear through when the article is put into service, thus impairing its usefulness. This fault is difficult to discover in the finished article and is a source of considerable annoyance. p

In order to minimize the loss and trouble from these causes, it has been the practice to use a comparatively large amount of plastic material in incasing the eyelet, since by this means the liability of cutting or wearing through of the edge of the gromet is reduced, particularly when a considerable thickness of celluloid is used to cover said edge. It has also been found desirable to employ a thick backing of celluloid'beneath the flaring portion of the gromet, both of these expedients tending to cure the faults above noted. However, an eyelet having such a thick head or cap necessarily projects considerably from the shoe or other article, and by some is considered objectionable for'this reason. Moreover, owing to the somewhat brittle nature of the incasing material it is liable to crack either when the eyelet'is being fastened in able.

the shoe or thereafter, pieces chipping OE and rendering the eyelet unsightly and objectionquired for forming a thick cap or head is a considerable item, since eyelets are manufac tured in large quantities.

The objects ofmyinvention are to avoid the liability of the edge of the gromet either cutting or wearing through the case or cap, to reduce the thickness of the head or cap so that when the eyelet is properly fastened upon a shoe it may protrude but little, if any, from material assembled in a heating-die, the latter being shown opened. Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1, showing the die closed and the eyelet completed. Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively sectional and side views of a finished eyelet. Fig. 5 is a section of a gromet. Fig. 6 is a plan and cross-section of an annular blank of sheathing material. Fig. '7 shows a sheet of sheathing material, from which may be cut blanks such as shown at Fig. 6. Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are diagrammatical views illustrating successive stages in the operation of incasing the flaring edge of a gromet with the material of the blank seen at Fig. 6.

For clear illustration the several figures are drawn upon various enlarged scales.

Similar parts are designated by similar let ters of reference.

A designates a gromet or blank for an eyelet, consisting of a tubular body and preferably having a convexlyflaring rim B and shown contracted at its opposite or clenching end C. This gromet or blank is inverted upon a central stud or projection D, formed upon a die E, the latter also'having an annular concaved matrix or recess F at the base of said stud. A sheath-blank consisting of rings G and II of celluloid in suitable condition and an intervening ring of fibrous material,

Moreover, the cost of material re-' such as fabric J, may be placed upon the stud D, so as to cover the annular depression F. A cooperating die-block K is provided with a hole L, whose mouth is slightly chamfered at M. 13y suitable means the die K is caused to descend and telescope the gromet A until the mouth M of the former contacts with the flaring flange B of the latter, whereupon further descent of said block K forces down the gromet A, crumpling the sheath-blank down into the matrix F and also causing the plastic material G and II of said sheath to flow or spread, the appearance of the material at an early stage in the flowing thereof being indicated diagrammatically at Fig. 9. The dies may be mounted upon heaters N and P, Figs. 1 and 2, so as to keep the dies hot, and thereby facilitate the reduction of the portions G and II of the sheath-blank to a plastie and fluent condition as the dies close. At Figs. 2 and 10 the dies are shown as closed and the eyelet formed, the warmed celluloid Q, having been caused by the pressure of the dies to fill up all crevices and to extend into the interior of the'gromet, as at R, the celluloid being also compressed by the action of the dies, thereby solidifying and toughening the same. The lower die may be provided at the border of the annular matrix F with a circular sharp edge S for the purpose of cutting off any extra material that may squeeze out as the dies close. The die-blocks may be allowed to cool before the eyelet is removed, so as to allow the celluloid to harden sufficiently to retain its shape. Thus the finished article consists of a gromet whose flaring or enlarged end is provided with a compound sheath of fabric and celluloid, the fabric contacting with the gromet and being faced by a layer of celluloid, as at Q, Fig. 10. The diameter of the perforation in the annulus J maybe less and the outer diameter thereof greater than the diameter of the flaring end portion of the gromet, so that the sharp edge of the latter may be provided at all points with a two-ply facing of cloth and celluloid. The cap preferably has a rounded top or outer surface conforming to the die depression F and a plane under surface or shoulder.

It will be seen that an important feature of my invention resides in cloth-sheathing the flaring or upper edge of a gromet, said sheathing effectually withstanding the cutting tendency of said edge and shielding the celluloid facing from injury from this source, so that it becomes impossible for said edge to protrude or show through the cap at any point either during the process of manufacture or while in subsequent service. Hence I eliminate a cause of large loss in the manufacture of the article and also produce a desirable eyelet, since in ordinary use the sheath does not wearaway and expose the metal edge. Moreover, the fabric is embedded in the celluloid and toughens or reinforces the latter to a phenomenal degree, so as to practically eliminate the liabilityofchippingorbreaking.

Even if the celluloid should crack it would still be held in place by the fabric, thereby preserving the sheath, so that the eyelet is practically indestructible. ployinga cloth facing for the end of the gromet, and thereby preventing the edge from cutting, I am enabled to effeota material reduction in the amount of celluloid or other plastic material employed in forming the cap, which is an advantage of vast importance, since, on the one hand, it enables an eyelet to be finished with an extremely thin head, as seen at Fig. 10, and, on the other hand, effects a great saving in the cost of material. The thinness of the head or cap is a desideratum, since it enables the eyelet when inserted in the shoe to lie flush, or nearly so, with the surface of the leather, thus conducing to the neat appearance of the shoe. The several savings effected by preventing cutting of the cap, by avoiding the necessity of careful inspection of the eyelets, by eliminating the waste from breaking and chipping of the cap, and by materially reducing the amount of material employed amount to a large annual sum, while the value of the eyeletis increased.

The facing of celluloid may be very thin, and in practice I prefer merely to have enough of the celluloid to make a smooth face for the cloth J. The shoulder '1 may form a plane surface at right angles to the axisof the eyelet, so as to give a good bearing and enable the latter to be firmly seated.

At Fig. '7 is shown a sheet of cloth or other fabric J inserted between sheets G and II of celluloid or the like, said inserted sheet J preferably adhering to the outer layers, thereby making it convenient to handle the cloth and also to handle the blanks cut therefrom. It is not essential, however, that the blanks be formed by punching from a three-ply sheet or that the three rings G, H, andJ be placed simultaneously upon the die, since they may be placed there one after another without departing from the scope of the invention. While I prefer to employ blanks having plastic material upon both sides of the fabric, still I do not consider that the invention is limited in all cases to this combination. One of the important features of the invention consists in employing fabric and plastic material in any suitable combination or arrangement to effect the desired end, and I consider within the scope of my invention all means to that end, whether the fabric and plastic material be applied to the gromet simultaneously or otherwise. Neither is my invention limited to the use of material which is rendered plastic by heating, so long as a sheath is molded upon a gromet and includes a fabric protection for the metal of the gromet. If'desired, the plies of material, Fig. 7, may be subjected to simultaneous heat and pressure, so as to cause the plastic material to work into the meshes of the cloth.

It will be observed that the fabric is held in place upon the gromet by means of the cel- Further, by em-' ICO luloid, which curls around the flaring edge of the under surface of the leather and cooperates with the celluloid and cloth cap in securing the eyelet in position. By the operation illustrated at Figs. 8 to 10, inclusive, the cap is not only formed or molded,but is also keyed,"

to the gromet-that is, it is caused to interlock therewith, so that it cannot be removed without fracture. ,I

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of my invention.

The herein-described process of capping eyelets is made the subject-matter of my copending application, Serial No. 90,606, filed January 21, 1902. My claims in the present application are limited to a cap-of the character described when used in connection with an eyelet, the broad combination of such a cap with a metallic article being claimed in my other copending application, Serial No. 90,443, filed January 20, 1902.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. An eyelet comprising atubular body and a cap of fabric and celluloid at one end thereof.

2. An eyelet having a head, and a cap or facing on said head, said cap or facing consistin g of fibrous material combined with plastic material.

3. An eyelet comprising a tubular metal body and a fabric sheath secured thereon by means of celluloid,said fabric being also faced by celluloid.

4. Aneyeletcomprisingatubularbodyhaving a flaring end, and a cap protecting said end and consisting of a fabric sheath faced with wear-resisting material.

5. An eyelet comprising a tubular metal body, a molded ring of celluloid thereon, and a fabric sheathing-ring within the celluloid and covering the edge of the metal.

6. An eyeletcomprisingatubularbodyhaving a flaring end, and a cap molded upon said flaring end, said cap consisting of wear-resisting material in which fabric is embedded.

7. A metal eyelet having a head, and a cap secured upon said head and consisting of fibrous material faced with wear-resistin g material.

S. Aneyeletcomprisingatubularbodyhaving a flaring end, and a cap upon said end, said cap consisting of compressed celluloid in which fabric is embedded, and being of larger diameter than said flaring end.

9. Aneyeletcomprisingatubularbodyhaving a flaring end, and a single-ply annulus of fabric faced with celluloid and keyed upon and protecting said flaring end.

10. An eyelet comprising a tubular'body having a flaring end, and an annulus'of fabric and celluloid protecting said flaring end, the celluloid facing said fabric and also forming a flange around and beneath said flaring end.

11. An eyelet comprising a metallic body having an enlarged end, and an annulus of fabric having a thin facing of celluloid and protecting said end, the annulus and the celluloid forming a flange of greater diameter than said enlarged end, and inclosin g and interlocking therewith.

' 12. An eyelet comprising a metal body having a head, and a cap of celluloid compressed upon and inclosing said head; said cap having a reinforcement of fibrous material em= bedded therein.

'13. An eyelet comprising a tubular body and a flaring end, and a thin cap of celluloid compressed upon and inclosing said flaring end; said cap having a rounded top surface and a plane under surface, and also having an internal reinforcement of fibrous material which sheaths said flaring end. 1

14. An eyelet comprising a tubular body and a flaring end, and a cap upon said end, said cap comprising. an annular sheath of fibrous material embedded'in celluloid; the diameter of said sheath being greater than that of said flaring end.

15. An eyelet having a tubular metal body provided with a flange or enlargement at its outer end, and also having a'rigid wear-resisting covering inclosing and interlocked with the flange or enlargement and forming on the outside of the eyelet a shoulder adapted to bear on the material in which the eyelet is inserted; and an annulus of fabric embedded within said covering and overlying the outer edge of said tubular body.

16. An eyelet having a lateral flange or ledge upon its outer end and a cap made of plastic material surrounding and inclosing said flange, said cap being made with a central lacing-passage, a rounded outer surface, and a shoulder surrounding said tubular part beneath said flange and arranged substantially at right angles to the axis of the eyelet, the lower end of the tubular bodybeing adapted to be clenched against the under surface of the material to which the eyelet is applied, and cooperating with said shoulder in securing the eyelet to said material, and an annulus of reinforcing fabric being embeddedin said plastic material.

17. An eyelet comprising a tubular metallic body having at the top an outwardly-extending flange and a cap or covering of plastic material surrounding and inclosing said flange, and formed on the underside of said flange with a shoulder arranged substantially at right angles to the axis of the eyelet, an

annulus of reinforcing fabric being embedded in saidcap and overlying said flange.

18. An eyelet havinga tubular metal body bedded Within said covering and overlying provided with a flange or enlargement at its the outer edge of said tubular body, said fab- 1o outer end, and also having a, rigid wear-reric being in direct contact with the edge of sisting covering inclosing and interlocked the said flaring portion.

3 with the flange or enlargement and forming ELEAZER KEMPSIIALL.

on the outside of the eyelet a shoulder adapt- Witnesses: ed to bear on the material in which the eye- JOHN O. SEIFERT,

let is inserted; and an annulus of fabric em- 15. STICKNEY. 

